Cilantro Chicken

5 from 3 votes

Cilantro Chicken is one of the very first recipes I ever created on this blog - inspired by a favourite dish at a now-defunct Indian restaurant in Minneapolis

Prep Time15

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Gluten-free, Indian

Servings: People

Calories: 499kcal

Author: Marie Porter

Ingredients

Marinade:

8 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
4 Inch Chunk of ginger peeled and chopped
4 tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
4 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs and/or Breasts chopped into large chunks

Cilantro “Pesto”:

2 Large Tomatoes
2 Fresh Fresno Chilis seeded and chopped
6 cups Cilantro packed
1 teaspoon Cumin
2 teaspoon Turmeric
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1 teaspoon Crushed Chilies
2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds

Assembly:

2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt*
Salt

Instructions

Put all marinade ingredients into food processor, and process till it’s a thick paste. Pour over chicken, mix to coat, and marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
I don’t bother to clean out the food processor (more flavor!), before adding tomatoes and fresno chilis. Process till well chopped, then add cilantro a bit at a time to make a thick pesto. Once all cilantro is added and chopped well, mix in remaining spices. Cover and refrigerate till needed.
Once chicken is properly marinated, put remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan. With heat on medium-high, Add chicken – marinade and all – and brown on all sides.
Add cilantro mix and cook – stirring frequently – for another 10 minutes or so. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and cook another 20 minutes or so.
Add Greek yogurt, stirring till it’s all incorporated, and cook - uncovered - another 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
Serve on a bed of rice, and ideally with a good amount of naan! (Naan, of course, would render it “no longer gluten free”)

Notes

To make this dairy free, substitute coconut cream for the Greek Yogurt

Nutrition